The annual Dogwood Trail pageant and scholarship program is gearing up to celebrate its 64th year at the Fairhope Civic Center on Jan. 13.

This year, 44 participants will compete for one of the six coveted positions on the Dogwood Trail Court, which appears at various city, county and state events as well as local parades and festivals throughout the year.

Additionally, each of the six young women who make up the court will receive a $1,500 college scholarship from the Eastern Shore Optimist Club and a costume that represents the floral heritage of the eastern shore.
Per the official release, this year's pageant theme is "In our 2024 Dogwood Era," spotlighting each participants spirit to challenge themselves, be optimistic and set their sights on success.

Pageant participants will consist of high school sophomores or juniors attending school on the Eastern Shore, with at least a 2.75 grade point average.

Participants will be awarded scores for their performance in four categories: essay, interview, creative introduction, and presence and composure.

The twelve participants with the highest composite score will be asked an impromptu question and the six young women with the highest overall scores will be selected to serve on the 2024 Dogwood Trail Court.

"We believe it is important for young women of today to embrace their potential," said JoAnn Broadus, executive program director. "This program enables participants to grow and realize the strength and skills they all have within them, we celebrate 64 years of service and opportunities to elevate these young leaders in our community."

About the Dogwood Trail program:
According to a January 2023 Gulf Coast Media article, the pageant began in the 1960s and was meant to accompany the king and queen of the Dogwood Trail, who were named annually by the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce.

By the mid-60s, the Eastern Shore Jaycees had adopted the program and modeled the pageant after the America's Junior Miss program (currently known as Distinguished Young Women.)

Perhaps the most distinctive part of the court are the colorful floral costumes donned by each members at public events, which the court has worn since the start of the program to represent the nations and cultures that had settled in Baldwin County.

HOW DO THE MAIDS CHOOSE THE COLOR FOR THEIR DRESS?
Organizers like to say, the color chooses you — you don't choose the color. The day after the pageant, the Dogwood Trail Committee works with the new court members, and the color is selected by which one looks best with a member's complexion, eye and hair color. Organizers say they know the color has been selected when the new court member "radiates with excitement."

HOW MUCH DO THE DRESSES COST?

All six Dogwood Trail Court costumes are the same design, custom-made for each court member with personalized detailing.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE THE DRESSES TO BE MADE?
The Dogwood Trail Costume Committee starts designing the next year's costume about a year out.

The committee works with a local designer to bring their vision to life.

Once a design has been approved the process of ordering fabric and supplies starts and the hats are completed before the pageant. With advance planning and purchasing of supplies, one seamstress completes six costumes in roughly eight weeks.

Tickets to the pageant are $15 and can be purchased from any pageant participant, and will be livestreamed through a link that will be posted on the program's Instagram and Facebook pages.